ReLeaf: Spring 2015

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With the marijuana scene constantly changing, this space in this publication, now in its 19th issue, always seems to be the place to recap developments from the previous months.

Doing that now, we note that Manitou Springs today is fully stocked with pot shops, with its second recreational-marijuana store, Emerald Fields, having opened a few weeks back. The dispensary transformed an aging restaurant into a clean and modern space, in which you feel as likely to buy an Apple product as an apple edible.

Meanwhile, the governments of Nebraska and Oklahoma have sued Colorado in the U.S. Supreme Court in an attempt to halt regulation of marijuana within the state. The suit is generally considered weak, and the high court has the option to never even hear it, so the outcome's pretty hazy.

Speaking of, the Gazette recently published a four-part opinion series called "Clearing the Haze," which drew instant and intense criticism for failing to adequately disclose strong ties the authors had to the anti-marijuana movement. It also seemed to herald a shift in the paper's newsgathering approach, with Independent columnist Ralph Routon writing, "Your daily paper, unfair and unbalanced, officially now is the FOX News of print for Colorado Springs."

Lastly, the recent municipal election saw three new people join City Council and the guarantee that either John Suthers or Mary Lou Makepeace will be our new mayor.

It leaves a lot to ponder, this April 20. But where cannabis is concerned, isn't there always?